Rating of telecommunications transactions has traditionally involved distinct local and toll rating criteria for wireline telephone services. A local carrier typically experienced lower costs when providing services from its own equipment and network in the local environment, but, when the service provided was non-local, a local carrier typically purchased services from another carrier and resells the non-local services to its subscribers. The purchase and resale of non-local services were, therefore, rated on a different basis than local services.
Although the distinction between local and non-local services has changed its shape in these days of integrated networks and national coverage, the distinction between services "manufactured" by the local carrier versus those resold from another carrier remains. Furthermore, the rating of combination of local/non-local telecommunications transactions by the local carrier will continue. Hence, rating systems used by local carrier preferably continue to accommodate non-local transaction processing. Additionally, changes in the market, in customer billing preferences, and in business models of local carriers, present a need for rating system flexibility, such that the carrier can unilaterally modify input parameters and rating behavior without interaction with the rating system vendor.
The rating (i.e., calculation of charges) of a telecommunications transaction may be accomplished in part by selecting specific rating parameters to be used in the calculation of charges based on characteristics of the individual telecommunications transaction. The characteristics of the transaction are typically provided to a rating system by the rating system user, such as the local carrier, and may include such data as the origin and destination of a transaction, the time of day that a transaction occurred, the duration of a transaction, etc. Rating systems preferably evaluate these transaction characteristics against rating criteria also provided by the rating system user, typically in the form of data tables accessible by the rating system program. The rating data resulting from this evaluation may be used in calculating charges for the transaction.
In some systems this evaluation may be accomplished on a deferred basis by storing the characteristics of a transaction and subsequently processing this data on a separate computer. Alternatively, other rating systems can calculate transaction charges on a real-time basis. Such real-time systems typically incorporate a complex web of large data tables designed to address all expected transaction characteristics. When new transaction characteristics are introduced to the rating system, the format of the data structure used to input the new characteristics to the rating system program must typically be changed. Furthermore, the rating system program must typically be modified to accommodate these new input characteristics and to effect the desired behavior in response to the new characteristics. Moreover, the rating data tables which define the rating behavior may also require modification.
One disadvantage of existing systems is the necessity that the user modify all three components of the rating system, such components being the input data structure, the rating system program, and the rating data tables. Preferably, the user of a commercial rating system should be able to extend a rating system without reprogramming the rating system program. Therefore, a need exists for a real-time telecommunications transaction rating system capable of accommodating new transaction input characteristics and rating selection criteria without requiring reprogramming of the rating system program itself.